


On A 10

by Notyourtypicalmermaid



Series: Next Comes Marriage [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Best Friends, Boys In Love, Commitment, Committed Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Friendship/Love, Heart-to-Heart, Hurt, Insecurity, Light Angst, M/M, Newly Engaged, Original Character(s), Past Abuse, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenagers, True Love, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Worry, fiance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-13 15:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20584538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notyourtypicalmermaid/pseuds/Notyourtypicalmermaid
Summary: Buggy has devasting news to share and Shanks takes it upon himself to help.





	On A 10

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of my previous series [here](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1437517). I'd suggest you read those chapters first before reading here. 
> 
> NOTE: There are some mentions of past abuse here so please be wary.

When Shanks received a text from Buggy that said he would be right over, he didn't think anything of it at first. Normally, Buggy came over once a week for a movie night or for dinner with his family. It didn't matter the time or reason, he was always welcome. 

But when he opened the door and saw his boyfriend, no _fiancé_ (he still couldn't believe he could say that!), with tears streaming down his face and skin red and blotchy, he was speechless. "Let the boy in, Shanks." His mother whispered harshly in his ear. He was probably gawking like an idiot for 10 straight seconds. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Sorry, sorry." Was his rushed reply. 

He let Buggy in, who was still sniffling, wiping his face in embarrassment. He grabbed Buggy by the waist and followed his mother to the dining room, the coziest place in the house. He ushered Buggy to sit next to him on the couch, arms wrapping loosely around his shoulders. 

His mother handed them some tissues, urging Shanks to help wipe his face. She is the school counselor at the local middle school and was used to dealing with situations like this. She was always one step ahead of him in a crisis. 

"I'm going to get some water and green tea. Is there anything else you'd like Buggy? A sandwich, some watermelon?" Barb asked. She knew most of Buggy's favorites but wanted to ask anyway, to get him talking. He shook his head no, not making eye contact. He had stopped crying but was looking at his hands, like they may have the answers to his problems. Barb nodded in understanding and went to get the beverages. 

Shanks felt useless and awkward. He has seen Buggy upset before, a few times he's cried, sure. That's unavoidable when you've known someone most of your life but to see him bawling? To have him speechless when he is normally so loud and commanding? Even on homecoming night, when Buggy was upset, those were silent damn near quiet tears. This kind of cry was new to Shanks and he realized for the first since their engagement that he had much to learn about his future husband. 

He rubbed Buggy's back soothingly, hearing the sound of the kettle boiling water in the background. The sounds were comforting and he kissed Buggy on his wet cheek, hoping to convey those same emotions to him. 

When his mother returned, she had two steaming cups of green tea and three bottles of water. Shanks handed the tea to Buggy, desperately wanting to do something. His mother drank her tea quietly, looking out the window patiently; it had started to rain.

"Shanks, why don't you get Buggy a blanket? It's a little chilly in here." She was definitely using her mom voice, the one that sounded like she was asking but it was clearly a command. 

"Sure, ma." He stood up and whispered to Buggy, "I'll be right back, okay?" Buggy only nodded in response. 

When he returned, Buggy was speaking albeit softly-not like his normal voice at all. Shanks couldn't hear him well but his body language spoke volumes. He looked tired like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and his face still red like he had been crying for hours. His mother was listening intently to whatever he was saying, calm in an unspoken understanding. 

"Shanks, come sit. You need to listen to this." She said. He hadn't even realized he was still standing by the doorway, looking like an outsider.

Once seated, he placed the blanket around Buggy, tucking him in almost like a child. He still felt like an idiot out his depth but Buggy seemed to appreciate the gesture. Buggy had stopped talking when he sat and looked hesitate to speak. 

"Buggy, why don't you tell Shanks what you just told me?" She said. She was in total counselor mode. 

Buggy cleared his throat, half his tea was gone and he sighed staring into the cup. 

"Well, my mom isn't happy about our engagement-as you know." This Shanks did know pretty well. Buggy's mom, Sarah was very unpleased that her only son got engaged (literally) right after high school. She was already pretty unhappy about their relationship, thinking Buggy was going to get his heart broken like she did but it was quite the opposite. Her little boy was getting married and yeah, he was barely legal yet. Her fears were to be expected. At least, that was Shanks' point of view on the situation. 

"And, we've been fighting about it all week." Buggy rubbed his face, probably trying not to tear up again. That part Shanks didn't know about it. He sat up to listen to a little closer. 

"We fought about it again today, but it was really bad tonight..." He took a big breath, almost like a shudder before speaking again, "and basically, she kicked me out." He finished.

"Wait, what? Are you serious?" Shanks felt instant rage. He knew Sarah was mad, he knew she was also disappointed-but to be this unreasonable was beyond his understanding. 

"How can she do that? How would change anything?!" He yelled. This made no sense to him at all. He stood up to pace the room, beyond frustrated. 

"Shanks, honey calm down. If you're upset, imagine how Buggy feels." His mother reasoned. She was always so good at that, making Shanks see the other side of the coin, making him think about other people's feelings. 

"I'm sorry." He breathed in and out of his nose and quickly sat back down next to his fiancé. He was still pissed but sitting down took a little bit of the sting out of it. 

"I don't even remember everything that was said. We were both so angry and before I knew it I was running over here. And I didn't want to go to my grandparent's house, they don't know yet. I'm sorry." Buggy said, sounding defeated.

"Don't be sorry! Don't ever be sorry!" Shanks was practically yelling, breaking the mood of the room, but he didn't care. "You can always come here, always, always, always!" He assured. He thought it was obvious but if it wasn't clear then he would make sure of it tonight. 

His mom gestured from him to settle down, he was getting a little too excited. "He's right, Buggy. This is your second home, you can stay as long as you need to. Even until the wedding." She hated to see Buggy so upset and him going somewhere else was not an option in her book. Tomorrow, she'd give Sarah a call. 

"Let's settle in for the night. Have you eaten? I made some lasagna and there's some salad in the fridge, too." 

Buggy nodded. "Thank you, Barb. I truly appreciate it." He grabbed Shanks' hand. "Thank you, Shanks." He smiled weakly in appreciation. Shanks felt his anger subside a little bit. 

"Buggy, you can take a shower if you want." She stood up, nodding to Shanks. "Shanks, go get some toiletries, I'll be in the kitchen." 

"Okay, mom." He grabbed Buggy's hand as he stood up. "Let's go Buggs." 

~

Once he found some clean clothes and towels, he handed them to Buggy in his small bathroom. 

"Sorry if it's a little cramped but you can use whatever you need-I have an extra toothbrush in there as well." He laughed nervously. He felt a little shy but he couldn't place why.

"Thanks, Shanks. I'll see you in a bit." Was the earnest reply. Shanks was certain he would get a snarky remark about his narrow bathroom, a joke about his lack of high-quality hair products, just something; not this docile Buggy. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. 

"No problem." He was still laughing nervously, rubbing his arm awkwardly. It was getting embarrassing at this point. 

"Shanks, I'm fine." Buggy touched his arm reassuringly. His smile was gentle and his words sounded sincere but his eyes spoke something else. 

"Are you sure? I mean, I'd get it if you were freaking out. I'm freaking out."

"Um, yes." He shrugged. "But let's talk about it later then. I'm starving." Before Shanks could protest, Buggy silenced him with a kiss and shut the door. The conversation would have to wait. 

~

Dinner was quiet. Shanks' dad, Steven was working overtime and wouldn't be in until the evening. He was normally the life of the party at the table, cracking dad jokes or talking about the crazy day he had at the car dealership. However, as much as his presence was missed, it wouldn't have done much to lighten the mood. 

They ate silently, Shanks stealing a few glances at Buggy every few seconds. He wanted to say something but couldn't think of the best words to put Buggy's fears to rest. The rain was coming down pretty heavily, adding to the dreary atmosphere. His mom was quiet too, lost in her own thoughts as she ate her salad. Shanks sighed as he finished his meal, heart still heavy.

~

Once dinner was over and all the dishes were clear, Shanks joined Buggy in his room. He watched as Buggy started combing his hair but he was clearly distracted. His long hair was down, still wet from the shower and the focus he usually had on his blue locks was absent. 

"Hey babe, want me to help?" He reached his hand forward for the comb. 

"S-sure." Was the distracted reply. Shanks was little surprised to hear a yes, Buggy almost never let someone touch his precious hair, sex was probably the only exception and even then he had to work for it. 

_He still must be in shock. I guess I would be too if my mom did that to me. _ __

_ _ _ _

_ _ _He gently took the comb from Buggy's hand and led him from the dresser to the edge of the bed. He tried combing the hair as smoothly as possible, not wanting to disturb his fiancé's thoughts. His own thoughts were muddled, too. _ _ _

_ _ __ _ _

_ _ __ _ _

Combing Buggy's hair was relaxing, therapeutic almost and he hoped he could do it more in the future after the wedding. It felt like an intimate gesture; something that Buggy would only allow him to do. 

Once he was done with Buggy's hair, braiding it neatly down his back, he started to caress his shoulders. He was a touchy-feely person by nature, always wanting to connect with his partner through touch. He would often give Buggy shoulder rubs when he could since his muscles were always so rigid and stiff from gymnastics practice. However, tonight Buggy instantly flinched which was unlike him, causing Shanks concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked. 

"N-nothing, you just surprised me is all." He flinched again trying to get out of Shanks' grasp, standing up. That was odd too. 

Before Shanks could comment, he noticed a strange mark on Buggy's shoulder. Shanks' shirts were always too big on Buggy, leaving a small exposed space where he could easily see Buggy's shoulder blades from where he rubbed his neck. When he flinched and tussled out of his grasp, he could see a blue bruising mark clear as day on his left shoulder blade. 

"What is that?" Shanks asked, confused. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The mark on his left shoulder looked like someone's grip had been holding or forcing him down. 

"It's nothing. I, um, I..." Buggy protested, voice rising. He was starting to panic.

"No, let me see." He ignored Buggy's complaints and pulled his collar to the side, reaching in to get a better look at the bruises. Buggy protested but gave up when Shanks found what he was searching for. 

"Oh. My. God. Buggy!" He gasped. The marks were on both of his shoulders, blue on his pale skin and they were angry marks like someone had scratched him repeatedly. For the second time that night, Shanks was seeing red. 

"Who the _FUCK _ did this to you?" He squeezed his open and shut, shaking. "I'm going to beat the shit out of them!"__

"Shanks, please. You'll wake up your parents." Buggy begged, he was in full panic mode now; palms sweating and tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

"They aren't asleep, it's not even 10 o'clock. And it wouldn't fucking matter if they were or not." He was clenching his teeth, forcing the words out of his mouth. "Now, Buggy, who the fuck did this to you? And don't try to subvert it either." His stare was intense, blazing into Buggy's eyes like laser beams going through his soul. Buggy closed his eyes, praying that somehow Shanks would drop the conversation. 

"..." 

"Buggy!" 

"Don't yell at me, Shanks!" Buggy gasped. His anger was starting to bubble over for the first time tonight. He didn't want to deal with this, there was already too much going on, too much on his mind and too little answers to the hundreds of questions Shanks probably had for him. Hell, he didn't know himself and he was the one living through it. 

"Was it someone on your team?" Shanks voice sounded like pure venom, anger seething through each word. Buggy shook his head, eyes staring downward. "Was it some neighborhood punk? I know every gang in this fucking town." Buggy shook his head again, crossing his arms. 

"Really? Then who di-" Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He grabbed Buggy's hand, bending down to look him in the eye, now whispering, "Was it your mom?" 

His answer was a silent reply as Buggy looked to the ground in shame. Fresh hot tears started falling down his face. He covered his face in his hands, turning his back to Shanks. Shanks was so surprised that he had to let go of his hand to sit down for a moment. He was speechless until he heard a knock on his door. 

"Shanks, Buggy are you alright?! Open the door." It was his father. He must've just gotten home from his shift. Shanks cracked the door open a smidge, hiding his crying fiancé from view. 

"Shanks, what hell is going on?" His father whispered sternly. He was a quiet man by nature and yelling always called for alarm in their household. 

"I'm sorry, dad. I'll keep it down." He moved to shut the door but his father's foot blocked him. 

"Your mother told me what happened. You shouldn't be arguing in here. Come out and we all can talk about this." 

Shanks contemplated for a second. His parents were the most nonjudgmental and intelligent people that he knew. They would understand what to do, what to say to Buggy in a situation like this. But, this was his relationship, his upcoming marriage and he couldn't depend on his parents forever. They can't help him solve every single problem they would face as a couple. He was an adult now, in an adult relationship with adult problems. And if the universe was testing him tonight, he wanted to pass with flying colors.

"I'm taking care of it, dad. We'll talk in the morning, okay? Everything's fine." He hoped he sounded more confident then he felt. He shifted his leg behind the door, preparing to close it. 

"Hmmm, alright. Keep it down, then." And with that, he was gone. 

Shanks closed the door behind him, head against it, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the new information thrust upon him. His best friend, boyfriend of the last three years and now _fiancé _, for what, a week? was being abused by his mother. __

_ _He took a deep breath before turning around. He needed to get it together and fast if he wanted to get any information out of Buggy. Hell, if he wanted to be of any comfort. Despite Buggy's hard shell, he was a real softy underneath wanting someone to needle him out. But Shanks felt way out of his depth here. _ _

_ __ _

_ __ _

Buggy's back was still turned, slouched and he looked like he was either crying or breathing deeply. The sight pained Shanks to his core. He walked slowly but loudly to Buggy, not wanting to alarm him again. 

As badly as he wanted to, he didn't touch him this time. "Buggy, look at me, babe. Please." 

"..."

He sighed again, shifting his feet. _What do I do? What do I do? What would mom do? _ He racked his brain for ideas before settling on one, straightforwardness. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"I'm sorry for yelling. I'm sorry..." He rubbed his neck searching for the right words. "I didn't even know what I'm doing, babe. I'm an idiot. Please don't be angry. I'm..." Shanks sighed. 

"I'm not angry at you." Buggy whispered softly. It didn't sound like he was crying anymore. That was a relief. 

"I'm ashamed, Shanks. I..." He cleared his throat, he could feel the tears welling up again and he was so sick of crying. He was so sick of feeling like garbage, weighing his problems onto his fiancé and his family. 

"I just wanted to handle this on my own. It's not a big deal, really. I'm okay now. Let's forget it." He settled on, facing Shanks. He attempted to smile but it came out forced and not genuine. 

Shanks had three options. 1. Go with his fiancé's plea to leave it alone. 2. Go the fuck off. Or 3. Something in-between. He chose the latter. 

"We don't have to talk about it," Buggy sighed in relief, "right now." He finished.

"What? Listen, I don't want to talk about it. Ever!" Buggy whined. "It's not a big deal, it's nothing I can't handle but you're acting like it's the end of the word! We _are_ dropping it!" He yelled. He was over this conversation. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

Shanks replied angrily, "We're not dropping a goddamn thing. We don't have to talk about it tonight. I get it, you are physically and emotionally exhausted. But if you think for a moment that it's okay for your mother to put her hands on you, you're completely delusional!" He yelled. He was sure his parents could hear them now but he was far from giving a damn. 

"Shanks." Buggy was so angry, he was seeing red, teeth chattering. They never argued like this and he wasn't interested in starting now. _"Fucking drop it."_ He said, grinding his teeth. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

Shanks with equally gritted teeth, "I will not."

"I'm leaving then. I can't deal with you like this." Buggy reached for his bad, packing his comb and brush in there. 

"You're not going anywhere. Have a seat. We need to work this out _now_ !" Shanks commanded, blocking the door. The room was small and there wasn't a way Buggy could get past him. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"I AM leaving, so move out of the way!"

"**I SAID SIT!******" Shanks' voice boomed in the room, halting Buggy's movements. He stood stunned, confusion clearly written on his face. He didn't know how to respond. 

** **** **

** **** **

Shanks felt similarly, surprised at his own tone but he didn't let it show. He stared Buggy down, waiting for him to surrender. Once he did, he watched as Buggy sat back down on the bed, distraught, still staring strangely at him. Shanks' hand still blocking the door, his body language still tense.

Once Buggy was settled, Shanks let go of the door. His stance still as wide but it wasn't angry nor threatening anymore. He deflated like a balloon, walking slowly to Buggy, stopping near his feet to crouch on the floor. Buggy looked at him suspiciously, uncomfortable by Shanks sudden change in attitude. Anger, in general, was uncommon but for him to yell at Buggy was pretty damn rare. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. He felt a mixture of anger, shame, and annoyance - but fear even now wasn't present. He knew Shanks would never hurt him, probably the only person he trusted not to, but he couldn't say he was at ease either. 

Shanks sat on the floor in front of Buggy, never breaking eye contact. It was now his turn to step up his game, proving how serious he was to find out the truth in a way that would get Buggy to open up. 

"I'm sorry for yelling, Buggy. But...what is going on?" His gaze was serious, voice soft and kind. 

Buggy looked way from his fiancé, still upset. He felt like crying again, hiding in a ball and out of everyone's sight. He hated feeling vulnerable. He looked across the room but when he saw his reflection in the mirror, he didn't like what he saw. His face was blotchy, his eyes red as sin and his posture slumped. He looked awful, insecure and homely. Not flashy at all. 

"Buggy...baby, sweetheart, look at me." He whispered, tone still stern, grabbing Buggy's attention. He wanted to let his lover know that this was a safe place. "Look at me, please. Just look at me." 

Buggy stubbornly closed his eyes, snapping his jaw shut. He couldn't speak because if he did, he would spill everything. The pain, guilt, and shame from the past week, no the last few months. The look of disgust she gave him when he showed her his engagement ring; her relentless judgment and the desire she had to control his life. 

He also didn't want to share the burdens, fears, and insecurities that she was packing onto him like a mule. How his love/hate relationship with his mother was slowly breaking him down piece by piece. He just wanted to forget it all happened but Shanks was not going to allow that. He was too determined, attentive and too goddamn involved in Buggy's life to allow this to pass. He simultaneously loved and hated him for that. 

"Buggs, _please_. I need you to look at me." Shanks pleaded, voice almost brittle and frail. "You're safe here. It's just you and me." He gingerly touched Buggy's knees, rubbing slow circles like he was a babydoll about to break. "Honey... you can tell me anything. Please open up. Please let me in." __

_ __ _

_ __ _

And with that Buggy cried. It started with a few sniffles and whines before the tears flowed again. He was losing track of how many times he cried tonight, letting his rawest emotions slip. He felt Shanks hands on his shoulders, more secure this time, holding him close to him as he wailed. He cried as Shanks rubbed his back, whispering in his ear words that he couldn't decipher. He cried as Shanks kissed his forehead, smoothing his now messy hair with his lips. He cried and cried and cried until his head started to hurt and his chest tightened painfully-until he couldn't breathe properly. He let out all the tears from the past year of finals, college applications, saying goodbye to his friends, to never having his father in his life to everything that he could think of. To every bit of pain that he hadn't quite dealt with in the past few years. 

When he was done, his face even more blotchy and red, Shanks was still there, holding him tight intent on never letting him go. That too made him cry and the tears ebbed again, having him gasping and breathing for air. Everything felt too small and too big at the same time, suffocating around him like a tight sweater that was two sizes too small. So, he held onto Shanks even tighter, desperate for understanding, desperate for his embrace. 

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here, love. I'm always gonna be here." Shanks repeated over and over. It was painful to see Buggy like this, in so much pain but he would never leave his side just because things had gotten hard and complicated. He wasn't the type of man who took the easy way out and he wasn't going to start now. 

Before the engagement, his parents warned him about marriage, the vows that he would have to make, the problems he would face and it was never clearer to him than in this moment. They would have to be a team and whatever pain his spouse had, he would share it too. Whether it was joy, sadness, anger or confusion, whatever the case, it was _their_ problem not just his or Buggy's to face. Soon, they would be one. That thought made him want to cry with understanding but now wasn't the time, that could wait for later. __

_ __ _

_ __ _

When Buggy stopped crying minutes later, he rested his head on Shanks' shoulder, exhausted. He grasped Shanks' neck with his available hand, hiding into his shoulder. 

"I didn't know how to tell you." He whispered. His voice was hoarse and scratchy. 

"Tell me however you want." He replied equally soft. "But tell me somehow. Don't leave me in the dark." 

"Shanks...I-" His voice got caught in his throat again. He tried again. "Shanks, it's been going on for a while now." 

It took everything in Shanks' willpower to not jump up in a rage. But he sat and listened. 

"Continue." He griped Buggy a little closer. 

"Not the scratches, I mean. Those are new, I swear." He lifted up his head to look at Shanks' stare. He wanted to make that clear. 

"I mean the fighting." He breathed. 

"How long?" 

He cleared his throat. "Since about January." He felt Shanks tense up around him, clearly angry. This is why he didn't want to tell him, he'd get super emotional. 

"..." 

"I know you're angry that I didn't tell you which is fair, I guess. But, I thought I could handle it on my own. Besides, I didn't want to burden you wi-" 

"Stop it, Buggy." Shanks interrupted, perturbed. "Would you listen to yourself? You didn't want to tell me the truth because you thought it'd be a burden? You a burden, since when?" 

"Shanks, I thought it wasn't your business, okay?" He answered, exasperated.

"It isn't my business?" Shanks replied, appalled. He pulled back from Buggy, to look at him clearly. "Everything that involves you is my fucking business, first of all." He was getting heated again but this time the flame wasn't going to put out so easily. 

"What do you think marriage is?" he asked. 

"What?" Buggy was genuinely confused. Where was this coming from?

"Your mom is mad at you for us getting married, right?" Buggy paused then nodded. "Then how is it not my business? How are _YOU_ not my business?" __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Shanks..."

"Answer my question." 

"What question? What are you talking about?" 

"What do you think marriage is?"

"I, um..." Buggy stutters. 

He interrupts. "Because marriage is choosing each other every day for the rest of our lives. It's saying _'you're the one I want and will fight for until death do us part.'_ "__

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Shanks, listen-" Buggy whispered. 

Shanks continued, angrily. "Will it be easy? No. Will it always be fun? No, I doubt it. Will we always be attracted to each other, through possible weight gain, illness or other life changes? I have no fucking idea!" 

"Shanks, please..." 

Shanks ignores him. "Will we fight and sometimes scream at each other? YES, abso-fucking-lutely! We're doing it right now!" He waves his hands in frustration. "But you know what?" 

"What?" Buggy asks, feeling small and insecure; skin buzzing with curiosity. 

His voice gets deeper and deadly serious. "Despite that, despite all of that Buggy, I chose you and I will continue to choose you. I choose you as the person to share my dreams, hopes, fears, and desires with. And yes, that includes telling you the hard shit!" 

Buggy wants to touch him but doesn't want to break the moment. Willing himself not to cry, Shanks continues. "And if you're not down with that, Buggy, if you don't think you can continuously choose me too..." His voice cracks and tears well up in his eyes. He really doesn't want to cry right now; he needs to make his point. "Then maybe your mom is right," Buggy gasps, hands over his mouth. "we aren't ready to get married." 

Buggy sat speechless not trusting his own voice to speak. He was stunned with emotion. He paced the room quickly before sitting down.

"Shanks, I want that with you. I do choose you." Buggy swore. "I've always chosen you! It's only been you and me. I mean, you're the love of my life." He rushed the words out like they couldn't leave his mouth fast enough. Shanks' eyes softened in response. 

"But...I don't have it all figured out. This shit with my mom," he exhaled, "has been overwhelming and confusing and just plain awful! She's been angry before, sure. She drinks too much sometimes, that's not unusual. But yes, the scratches, the scratches...are new." He bit his lip, hesitate to continue. Shanks listens rubbing his hand on Buggy's thigh, frown slowly disappearing. 

"She was so angry today. I don't even know what riled her up, honestly." Buggy stared past Shanks, as if he was looking into his own memories, picturing the scene like a movie. "I got home from Ivankov's, tired from my shift and she was just there, ready to fight." 

He glanced at Shanks for a response. When he didn't get one, he continued: 

"She told me she wanted to talk, I said sure-not like I could say no, right?" He chuckled to himself, but it lacked warmth. "W-we talked about if I was serious about getting married but she's asked me that almost every day since graduation." He sighs. "I told her, 'yes, nothing's changed'..." Shanks sat against his bed, patient. Buggy didn't acknowledge him, still caught in his story.

"She said I was making a mistake, that you didn't really love me, that you were using me for your own selfish gain and uh, pleasure." Shanks gasped at that. 

"Why would she think that?" He inquired. 

Buggy glanced at him. "She thinks you'll be like my dad, I guess. Sweep me off my feet and leave me hanging to dry just like he did her." He takes a shaky breath. "She's never gotten over him, you know. Never loved anyone else. They only married because she was pregnant with me and well, you know how that turned out." He crossed his arms, sliding to the floor. 

"Wow." Shanks didn't have an intelligent response for that. 

"Anyway, I told her you're not like that. But even if you were-even if things didn't work out, it's my decision to make and-" He cut himself off, a blush rising on his cheeks. "I said, you know, this is what I want and I...choose this, you, Shanks." He avoided eye contact, reaching to comb his hands through his hair but forgot that it was braided. He settled on tugging his shirt down instead. 

"Buggy, you know I would never do that to you or ask you to cho-" 

"Of course, I didn't mean it like that." He interrupted, if he didn't say this now, he probably never would. "I meant it more like, 'I choose to get married despite what you say' but...she didn't listen, she heard something else. Uh, um.." Buggy clasped his hands together, anxiously. Shanks moved to the edge, dying to know what happened next. 

"Then, she grabbed me here," he lightly touched his bruised shoulder, "rough nails digging in and I was in shock, I think, I couldn't even move." He stared down at the floor, avoiding Shanks' intense stare, shame building up in him like a rising volcano. 

"She shook me, like really shook me. I didn't know she had that kind of power, Shanks. Really." He looked at Shanks this time, eyes searching for understanding. Shanks grabbed his hand in response, sitting in front of him on the floor. He nodded, encouraging Buggy to continue. He didn't want to speak until everything was out and in the open. 

"She was screaming, I don't even remember all of it. Things about how she's the only real family I have, how could I turn my back on her, how could I leave her like this. And-" Buggy inhaled. He shook his head, pressing his forehead against his knees. 

"And what, Buggs?" He scooted closer, rubbing his back gently. 

"And...she shouted at me to leave!" He raised his head. "She told me to get the fuck out of her house." He laughed bitterly, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "I couldn't believe it. She was so upset that she wouldn't even let me pack my bags, Shanks. I was lucky to even get my backpack." He managed eye contact then. 

"Was she drinking?" 

"Ha! Of course. You thought she was actually off the sauce for once?" He retorted, words laced in sarcasm. 

Shanks didn't reply and instead pulled Buggy into a hug. It was like deja-vu. A week ago, they were hugging and crying from joy and excitement. Now, it was from fear and hurt. He rubbed Buggy's back reassuringly even though his mind was racing a mile a minute. 

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Buggs. You don't deserve that. No one deserves that. Fuck, that's awful." 

"You're telling me. What am I going to do? All my stuff is at her house. Fuck!" 

"We'll figure something out. I got paid this week so we can buy you some fresh underwear, clothes, whatever you need." He managed to grin. 

Buggy looked at him waringly. "Yeah, okay. I still need my computer though." 

"Well, she works all the time, surely you can sneak in and get some of your stuff, right? And who knows! Maybe she'll want to make up soon." 

"Yeah, but Shanks... I don't know if I could live in that house again. Unless I truly needed to."

"Hey, I don't expect you to! And I don't want you to. Like my mom said, stay here," He cupped Buggy's cheek, "this is your home too, Buggy." 

"Shanks, I-" 

"Can I be frank? And I'll stop interrupting you. Promise!" 

Buggy nodded, hesitant. 

"I'm still super pissed off," He pulled back, squinting his eyes to make his point, "but despite that, all I care about is your safety, babe. If your mom is hurting you-"

"Shanks, she's still my mom." 

"If your mother is hurting you, she can't be trusted. Therefore, you'll stay here, it's simple." 

"Is it?" He asked, exhausted. He couldn't believe his life had changed so drastically over a few short hours. 

"Yes, it is. We don't have to tell my parents everything but-" 

Buggy backed away from Shanks' embrace in a hurry. "God, no! Barb will call the police or something. My mom can't handle that. Promise me you won't tell her." 

"Bugg-" 

"Shanks, promise me!" 

"You know I can't promise that. I'm a terrible liar. Plus, lying isn't going to get you anywhere."

"Shanks, for fuck's sake. This isn't a joke. This is my life we're talking about!" 

"Listen, I'm not going to volunteer the information but yeah, if my parents ask me, I'm going to be honest. And I need you to be honest, too." 

Buggy leaned back onto the floor, arms and legs spread out like he was going to make a snow angel. 

"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." He chanted. "I hate my fucking life." 

Shanks looked on sympathetically, crawling over to lay next to him. 

"If it was the other way around, I know you'd do the same thing for me."

Buggy glared at him in response. "You know jack shit."

"I know you."

"Shanks, I know you mean well, but..." 

"Go on, speak your mind." He encouraged. 

"Fine, I'll say it. We've lived totally different lives. I didn't have my dad growing up and my mom, well... she's all I had despite her faults. I've had my grandparents too but, it wasn't the same as having a fully functioning family unit." He sighed. "If I lose my mom, I don't know what'd I do." He said, itching to curl up into a ball again. 

"I know you want to fix it, hell I want to fix it too. It's just...Fuck, I'm going to cry again." He sat up, shaking his fist angrily. "I'm so fucking tired of crying, you have no idea. I hate feeling like this." 

"Then share your burden."

"What?" 

"Buggy, you don't have to face any of this alone. Maybe I don't relate or understand, but I'm here to listen. Why should you have to go through this bullshit by yourself?" 

He wanted to say "Because it's my bullshit" but decided against it. He didn't need another lecture from Shanks about whose burdens are whose. Besides, deep down he knew he didn't have to go through this alone. Maybe that wasn't the problem. Maybe the issue was that he wasn't angry at his mother, just hurt. Really hurt. Could their relationship be repaired? He had no idea.

"Shanks, I still... love my mom. I want her to get help. I want her to be happy. Is that crazy? Shouldn't I hate her for this? " He asked, touching his bruised shoulder lightly. 

Shanks cleared his throat, "No, it's not. She's apart of you, Buggs. You're always going to care for her."

"I feel so...weak."

You aren't weak. And none of this is your fault. You know that right?" 

"..." 

Shanks leaned over, lighting pulling on Buggy's chin to look at him. "It's not your fault, not at all. You were so brave tonight babe. I really admire that, your strength." He let go of Buggy's face to look at the ceiling. "I wouldn't know what I would've done if that was my mom or dad. I probably would've slept under the freeway." Buggy chuckled lightly, staring at Shanks' face. 

"I'm glad you came here. I'm...I'm glad you opened up to me; I know how difficult it is for you. Thank you." 

"Just took an engagement ring and bucket full of tears to get there." 

"Still, that took guts." He leaned over and kissed Buggy's cheek. "It's not wrong to still love your mom or want to make up with her. It's all so complicated. I wish I had the answers." 

"Me too." 

"But we don't have to do it alone. Find the answers, that is. It'll be just you and me soon, but, we both have other loved ones who care, right?" 

Buggy smiled at him, "Yeah we do. You and me figuring out this shitty world together will be interesting." He crossed his arms, leaning against Shanks. "Fuck, I can't believe we're getting married." 

"Two and half months will go by in a flash." He exhaled. Their wedding was set for August 10th, two days after Buggy's 18th birthday. He would finally be of legal age to marry and they couldn't wait. It was scary but he was never more certain about something as he was of this. Buggy grabbed his hand, weaving their fingers together, sighing to himself. 

"Buggy?"

"What is it? I don't think I can handle any more emotional shit tonight." He smirked, tickling Shanks lightly.

"Not for tonight. Um, actually mom mentioned something to me earlier today, something we should do before the wedding." 

"Okay? Spit it out, I'm exhausted." 

"Okay, okay. geez." He sighed, Buggy was so impatient. "She mentioned pre-marital counseling." 

"Can you elaborate?" 

"Hold your horses! Sheesh." He shoved Buggy playfully. He was secretly relieved that they could joke with each again. 

"She said premarital counseling is like therapy sessions where we can, uh..." Shanks closed his eyes, trying to remember what his mom said, "something about us developing a plan for a successful marriage, I believe we would talk about different areas to work on and how to-" 

"You mean finances, communication, conflict, etc..?" 

Shanks snapped his fingers. "Right! Like every week, we'd have a session with her but sometimes without her to 'address potential areas of concern.' " He said with air quotes. "Those were her words, not mine." 

"Yeah, I could tell. They are way too smart for you." 

"You got jokes tonight, huh?" He laughed, butting his head softly against Buggy's. "So, what do you think? You want to try it? I think it'd be good for us." 

"Yeah, absolutely. We don't know shit about marriage." 

"Hmmph, I know a little bit, jeez. Give me some credit, Buggs." 

"Well, I don't. I barely remember when my folks were married. All they did was argue, it seemed." 

Shanks soured a little, not wanting to focus on Buggy's parents again. 

"That's okay, babe. We'll learn so much together. But this, I think will prepare us a lot more. Mom mentioned activities like problem-solving, soul gazing, listing each other's good qualities-" 

"What the hell is soul gazing?" 

"Oh, it's like an intense staring contest. We look into each other's eyes for like three minutes, maybe less without speaking." 

"What will that do?"

"I'm guessing it'll develop intimacy."

"Hmmm, that's kind of interesting." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Oh! Sidenote: I refuse to talk about sex with your mom." 

"Don't think about her as my mom, think of her as a counselor during the sessions." 

"Shanks..." He replied, emphasizing the last 's' in Shanks' name. 

"I can't promise anything, I don't make the rules but I'm sure she doesn't want to know about our sex life. It'd probably be a homework assignment or something." 

"A homework assignment, oh my God." Buggy laughed, resting on Shanks' chest. He couldn't even imagine it. 

"Whatever it is, I know you, _we_, can do it." __

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Right. As long as it isn't about sex." He said, jabbing Shanks' chest. 

"Sure, Buggs. We'll leave that for the bedroom." Shanks said rolling his eyes. He turned on his side to face Buggy, rubbing his shoulder lightly, avoiding the bruises. 

"We're gonna be alright." 

"How can you be so sure all the time? You're not scared?"

"Yeah, I am. But it's more like an excited scared. Like when I go on a roller coaster and I think I'm going to die but it's exciting all the same. You know that feeling?" His big doe eyes stared at Buggy hopefully. 

"I hate roller coasters but yeah, I think I know what you mean." Buggy replied, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't felt this drained since finals two weeks prior. His head was throbbing but he was too comfortable on the carpet to go get an aspirin. 

"What are you afraid of?" Shanks asked, leaning over Buggy blocking his view of the ceiling.

"Everything. Money especially. Failing at being a good husband is a close second. But...I know we'll do the best we can." 

"Yeah, and we have my parents! Mom's going to drill the hell out of us with these counseling sessions but those will make us stronger." 

"Nothing brings you down, huh Shanks?" Buggy replied, chucking to himself. 

"Nope." He teased, caressing Buggy's side. 

Buggy glanced back into Shanks' smiling face and as much as he wanted to frown, he couldn't. With hard work and dedication, just maybe they'll be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of the most challenging but fulfilling chapters to write. Thank you for reading. Please comment below!


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